this poor guy was right behind me when he was hit in the head with a police projectile. he went down hard and did not get up. the bright light in the second shot is from a flash-bang grenade that went off a few feet from us. he was eventually taken to highland hospital.

this poor guy was right behind me when he was hit in the head with a police projectile. he went down hard and did not get up. the bright light in the second shot is from a flash-bang grenade that went off a few feet from us. he looks like he might be a veteran. he was eventually taken to highland hospital.

I've just spoken to Keith Shannon, roommate of Scott Olsen, the Iraq veteran who is in hospital after apparently having been hit in the head by a police projectile.

Shannon said doctors told him Olsen has a "skull fracture and swelling of the brain". A neurosurgeon will assess Olsen later today to determine whether he needs surgery, Shannon said.

Olsen, 24, was in 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, before leaving the military last year. He had been opposed to the Iraq war even before his first tour to the country, Shannon said. Shannon and Olsen met in November or December 2005, and share an apartment in Daly City, south of San Francisco.

"It's really hard," Shannon said. "I really wish I had gone out with him instead of staying home last night."

Shannon, who is also 24, said he had seen the video footage showing Olsen lying on the floor as a police officer throws an explosive device near him.

"It's terrible to go over to Iraq twice and come back injured, and then get injured by the police that are supposed to be protecting us," he said.

Shannon said Olsen was hit in the head by a tear gas canister or smoke canister shot by a police officer. He said Olsen had a curved scar on his forehead consistent with a canister

Protesters who had accompanied Olsen to Highland hospital got in touch with Shannon through Facebook, after Olsen said he lived with someone called "Keith". Shannon said he was told Olsen was unable to say his surname.

Olsen's parents, who live in Wisnconsin, have been told he is in hospital and were "probably going to fly out", Shannon said.

Both Olsen and Shannon are members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace, Shannon said. He added that Olsen had been opposed to the war in Iraq before his tours of duty. Olsen served in Iraq in 2006 and 2007.

=v= OPD is claiming that they're not firing rubber bullets. After the 4pm attack, NPR even had an idiotic report claiming it was unclear which "side" has rubber bullets. Whatever projectile you find, hang onto it for evidence.

...but the last photo shows the wound over the right eye. I do graphics work, and understand "mirroring" an image to make it look better, but in a factual article where the graphics have to tell the story, opposition to something like this, say, like from the Oakland PD, would say that the wounds were faked. Heck, even my critiique sounds negative towards the wounded man, but I don't want it to be. If the photo was mirrored, replace it with the original shot. This is news, not a essay contest.

A soldier all around the world is a paid professional killer. In all capitalist armies, a soldier (and military sailor) kills his fellow workers to maximize the profits of the capitalist class. The capitalist class promotes the sales pitch to recruit workers to be soldiers that they are killing to defend some noble cause, such as the Bill of Rights to the Constitution, but that is only a sales pitch. When these soldiers come home, some realize what crimes against humanity they have committed and join peace groups, such as the various veterans against war groups, to make amends, and they all should be encouraged to do so. This veteran got a tiny taste of what US imperialism does around the world from the local armed force of the capitalist class, the police, whose only purpose is to terrorize the workingclass to accept the low wages and terrible working conditions and lifestyle desired for us by the capitalist class so the capitalist class can maximize its profits. That is why we need to eliminate the police department, legalize drugs so as to eliminate the street market value of drugs and eliminate most street crime, and transfer all police department funds to the social services departments. We also need to abolish the military, the stock market and private ownership of the means of production. This whole scene confirms again that there is no budget crisis as the police are armed to the teeth to terrorize and kill us to make the rich richer.

I wish I could get my hands on the fucking idiot who lobbed a smoke grenade (or whatever it was) at the police, after which they immediately took aim and fired projectiles, one of which came 4 inches from my head. I could easily have been the guy in the photo, and I wouldn't have thought of myself as a martyr. I have no respect for cops because I know they are capable of this shit, but provoking cops in a situation like this is TACTICALLY STUPID. You wanna take on the cops you little shithead, take them on when you're not surrounded by people who don't expect to be FIRED UPON. If you're into the military, you might say "don't draw enemy fire when among the civilian population." Unless of course that is your strategy, some stripe of dick-for-brains insurrectionism, "somebody'll get hurt and then the people will rise up!" Fucking idiot.

They then shot another granade right into the middle of the people who had surrounded the guy to help get him out of the way. There was no reason what so ever for that. They had a full view of the guy on the ground and what the other people where doing. None where even looking at the cops.

All these photos are of the same individual, however the issue I have is with the video. The flash goes off too far away and in the wrong location to be the flashbang that hit this young man. I am ex-military and while they can do damage at close range if hit by them they will not bounce that far, esp. off a persons head.

Also no trained person will shoot the flashbang level, unless entering a building, it is always shot down to the ground. It also appears tear gas was already being deployed meaning the crowd was getting out of hand.

While no human should be hurt during these things, and a veteran i have a special place for, the facts just don't add up correctly for me to believe, at this time, that this was caused by a flashbang from an officer. It seems more likely the flashbang went off and people are assuming that was the cause.

I don't see any signs of any police helping wounded guy get to hospital. Fortunately he didn't get stampeded by charging cops. It is the people in the crowd who stand over you when you are down and make sure you get out of there alive. Been there.

There are no questions. The scar on his face matches a canister of tear gas, which is fired with great force from a launcher and is intended to be aimed above the heads of the people. Deliberately throwing more canisters at anyone helping him, is just awful, especially since the cops on the line facing him must have witnessed what happened, much more clearly than from 20 feet behind, and saw him crumpled on the ground, unable to escape. If those few brave people had not stayed despite the choking clouds, and dragged him away, he would have helplessly laid inches from a spewing canister. Its obvious he's a veteran from his t-shirt. This is disgraceful.

Gerrard: Shut up. Keep your bullshit opinions to yourself, especially when a comrade's in the hospital. It doesn't matter what your intentions are, all you're doing is creating leeway for the cop who did this to wiggle out of it. And honestly, it doesn't seem like your intentions are good- they seem sectarian and part of a witch-hunt (that the cops are also on) for insurrectionists.

First of all I am very saddened by this event. My heart goes out to the injured veteran and his family. I am so sorry this has happened... I found a video that shows the event unfolding. At about 0:23 you can see Scott Olsen fall to the ground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqNOPZLw03Q

I'm not trying to blame the fool "protestor" who chucked something at the cops for the fact that a comrade is in the hospital. I know that cops don't need excuses to be violent. I AM saying that a move like that is tactically stupid. Saying this does not excuse the cop who shot a deadly projectile at a mostly peaceful crowd. My comments sectarian? You bet your ass. I've been around long enough to see how shit like this plays out. But just because I think insurrectionism is a cult of adrenaline and ego, just because I know that the cops LOVE when someone justifies the beat-down for them (yes, in our fucked up system of justice), this doesn't mean that what that kid did wasn't just plain STUPID. You think that crowd was made up of people "down for whatever," or that they needed this little lesson in police violence to radicalize them? Maybe your goal, "what," is to amp up the violence and shock, thinking this will "wake up" the people or some shit like that. My goal is to build a movement big enough to change the world. Oakland isn't Greece and it isn't Egypt. Lay off the riot porn and learn how to talk to people outside your little black block ghetto.

The message I'm hearing from people who defend those who seek confrontations with cops is: If you're not ready for police violence, you shouldn't be there. So I guess the assumption is either 1. the more violent confrontations, the more people will be ready for them and 2. enough people will want to be a part of violent demonstrations that the movement will advance. I simply do not think either of these are true. I think violent confrontations scare away more people from the movement than they attract. One may be disappointed by this reality and try to change it but nevertheless its true.

It was not so long ago the Police of Oakland, With now Governor's Blessing, opened fire on a peaceful picket Line at the Oakland Docks.

History Repeats itself. Same corrupt politicals and minion cops doing the work of the 99%. They will never be with the 99%...no matter what the Kumbayas say. (Read Jack London's classic, "The Iron Heel")

Learn from Europeans, Build a Shield Blok or Padded Blok to form a walking wall between aggro Pigs and peaceful Demonstrators. Even a few padded people can prevent many injuries to peaceful protestors!

Look for street hockey pads, soccer pads, used football gear, motorcycle helmets, plywood scrap with a couple of straps make a shield that can deflect "Less" Lethal rounds.

But a riot is a riot, be it in Greece, in Egypt or in Oakland. And in riots, people act accordingly. During a riot people have to protect their life and that induces behaviour different from dayly habits. Deal with it !

I was there. No looting almost no destruction = peaceful protest. A few things were thrown at cops 90% bounced off their shields. There is no excuse to shoot a man who is 6 to 8 ft away in the head with anything. Someone else got one in the ankle & also had to be carried out. True there are dangers involved with protesting but shouldn't be more dangerous than 2 tours of war when you want to express you constitutional right to peacefully protest.

[John writes: Thursday Oct 27th, 2011 3:20 AM "Why the fuck did this jackass join the fucking US Marines if he was opposed to war? War is the Marines job. I don't get this. Plus I hate all you left wing dickheads and trust fund babies with nothing better to do besides smoke dope and make trouble. Get a fucking job and a clue."]

Hey, the voice of a real American! Compassionate, well-informed, unbiased, in touch with reality as the media sees it, intentionally ignorant, and full of opinions based on appetite rather than reason. You, John, are precisely why these protests are necessary!

3/4 Marines is Infantry, grunts through and through and you are a serious piece of work challenging this man's legitimacy. They were there in 2003 in the first push into Saddam's heartland and there again while Bush put Fallujah on hold to avoid an election-costing bloodbath.

You are the one that needs a clue, you leech. Standing up for something you believe in is real heroism. You're a pathetic internet know it all that hasn't sacrificed anything since you had your umbilical cord cut at birth.

Why are you so angry and using unnecessary vulgarity to try and get your feelings noted? I retired from the Navy, have a son in it now, was the dependent child of an Air Force fighter pilot, etc... etc... and I can understand the motivation to join the Marines while not feeling the political reasons for a given war or conflict are justified. I worked as a corpsman with the Second Marine Division for four years, and I loved that duty -- the Marines are awesome men and women. They exemplify team work no other organization can -- Semper Fidelis! On the other hand, you are pouting off typical political jargon or sound bytes from the extreme conservative 'side' of our free-thinking American way. It breeds contempt and hate -- it is non-productive. The kid who was hit and hurt works. His room mate and friend, works. I work! You might have valid points of interest and parts of a solution to larger problems, but when you express your views as you have --- you turn off any reasonable communication possibility; the table is cleared, as it were --- we get stuck in the same gridlock that has the government failing!

You seriously need to get off your fat fucking ass and do something other than sit on a computer and argue a point with such unintelligent statements, all of you. I don't see ANY of you out there trying to invoke change, for once in your life, make something of yourselves other than a dent in a couch or computer chair! You people are the reason we are in the state we are in to begin with! And seriously, get a job? LOL Well, that's a bit of an oxymoron, especially when A. there ARE no jobs and B. you have no clue what this man's situation is. Oh yeah, by the way, most of us HAVE NO CHOICE but to join the military TO EARN A FUCKING LIVING since there ARE NO JOBS. You douchebag.

I am one of the chapter contacts for Veterans For Peace( chapter 147 in Saratoga N.Y )..what has happened to Scott is a tragdey for all of us...a national disgrace.There is no excuse for law enforcement to come down physically on any of the protesters.I am so proud of the movement country and world wide to protest the injustices done to the middle and poor classes..the revolution had to happen!! Scott will be in our prayers as he hopefully heads toward recovery..bless you brother!!!